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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · stick · file · clip · drill · suit · racket · lash

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — army training
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. clip — a video
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com